Hey guys! Me again! In case anyone was dying to know, I have finally recovered from my illness (except for my crunchy, but not contagious cough) and am out and about on the streets of Madrid once again.
I finally started my internship this past Thursday, and I am enjoying it so far. I am spending lots of time working with Excel, invoices, and more exciting accounting skills! It has been a learning curve adjusting to a 9-6 (especially when it’s so beautiful and sunny outside), but also fun to learn and adjust to corporate life.
In terms of time management, the biggest challenge for me has been planning out my commute time on my way to work or just to meet up with friends. My office is about a 40-minute journey on public transportation from my host apartment, which can be even longer depending on the day. After living only 5 minutes away from my waitressing job at home, this is a huge adjustment for me. In the mornings, I have to be time-conscious and quick to get out the door to catch the early bus—even if it means waiting outside the office for a bit, it’s much better than being late! But on the way home, my commute is nice and relaxed, a perfect time to be out of the heat and listen to some music or read my book. At work, I have had an excess of time to complete the tasks I’ve been assigned, so the biggest challenge with managing this is chunking out tasks, with stretch breaks in between, so that I stay focused and productive.
Now for a little life update. On the topic of time management: the metro and I have a love-hate relationship—I love that it gets me anywhere in the city for only 8 euros a month, but hate that it takes me about 30 minutes to an hour to get anywhere. This means that, except for work, I am late for everything! It is a learning curve, and something I will adjust to as time goes on.
Over my sick days, I slowly emerged from my bedroom and took some relaxing walks around the beautiful Quinto de los Molinos park! Other than that, I did little else but sleep and binge-watch the new Netflix show, Department Q.
On Thursday, the whole EUSA group went to a Flamenco workshop and show. It was so fun to watch the dancers and musicians who were incredibly talented and very passionate performers. I will have to pull out my flamenco moves at the discoteca sometime soon!
This weekend, I spent a lot of time enjoying the beautiful weather. I spent Saturday walking around El Retiro park, looking at the fish, boats, and flowers, and enjoying the sunlight! We got lunch at a completely gluten-free pizza place (I wish I had a picture, but I ate mine too fast), and I got a slice of cake for dessert at a gluten-free bakery.
On Sunday, my friends and I woke up bright and early to beat the sun and the crowds at El Rastro. I had been waiting to go to this weekly flea market in the streets of Madrid since I got here, and it lived up to expectations. There were so many cool vendors, and I bought a whole lot of jewelry. El Rastro is the definition of the 3Bs in Spain (Bueno, Bonito, Barato)! We then headed back to El Retiro to lie out in the sun and enjoy the nice day! Afterwards, we finished off our Sunday adventures with a self-guided wine tour in San Miguel. So much fun!
I can’t believe I’ve been in Madrid for almost two weeks now. As I settle in, things are getting more comfortable, and time is starting to fly! Many more adventures to come.
Un abrazo,
Rachel 💌